The Experts below are selected from a list of 297 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Wei Wei - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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effects of Terracing on root distribution of pinus tabulaeformis carr forest and soil properties in the loess plateau of china
Science of The Total Environment, 2020Co-Authors: Wei Wei, Cungen Chen, Yuanyuan HuangAbstract:Abstract Terracing is one of the most effective ecological engineering practices that improve soil anti-erosivity properties and support plant growth in the dryland loess hilly area and other similar regions. The objective of the study was to understand the vertical distribution of root in different terraces and their relationships with soil environmental factors in the Loess Plateau of China. The vertical root distribution in the 0–400 cm soil profile, fine root distribution and soil moisture, soil nutrients (soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) and soil anti-erosivity in 0–160 cm soil profiles (every 20 cm for one layer) were investigated using the ground-penetrating radar and soil coring methods in a Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. forest under three terrace types during the growing season of 2018. We highlight several key findings here. First, level benches had the highest root density (18.14 kg m−2), followed by fish-scale pits (13.95 kg m−2) and reverse-slope terraces (9.84 kg m−2), as well as the highest soil water content, nutrients and soil stability. Second, Terracing caused significant differences in root distribution (P
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effects of rainfall and Terracing vegetation combinations on water erosion in a loess hilly area china
Journal of Environmental Management, 2020Co-Authors: Jing Feng, Wei Wei, Daili PanAbstract:Abstract Terracing and vegetation restoration are the basic measures to protect soil from water erosion and to combat land degradation. However, long-term quantitative evaluation on the erosion control benefits of different Terracing techniques and vegetation types are still insufficient, particularly under variable rainfall. The aim of this article, therefore, is to evaluate the coupling effects of different Terracing-vegetation combinations and rainfall types (RTs) on runoff retention and erosion reduction in a loess hilly catchment of China. Six types of Terracing-vegetation combinations, including leveled benches-C. microphylla (LM), fish-scale pits-P. orientalis (FO), leveled ditches-P. armeniaca (LA), zig terraces-P. orientalis (ZO), fish-scale pits-P. tabulaeformis (FT), zig terraces-P. tabulaeformis (ZT) and the corresponding plots with same vegetation cover and non-Terracing measures were designed and monitored. Based on five consecutive years of monitoring data, 69 rainfall events causing runoff and erosion were observed. Rainfall eigenvalues, including rainfall amount (RA), maximum 10-min intensity (I10), maximum 30-min intensity (I30) and rainfall duration (RD) dominated water erosion processes. Surface runoff and sediment reduction benefits differed with different Terracing techniques. Mean runoff coefficients (Rc) among all kinds of Terracing-vegetation combinations were FT > LM > FO > LA > ZO > ZT, while mean soil loss rates (Em) among all kinds of combinations were FT > FO > LM > LA > ZT > ZO. ZT showed the highest mean runoff reduction (44.03%), while ZO generated the highest sediment reduction (39.08%). The worst performance was observed in FT. With regards to the results, it is necessary to select the optimal Terracing-vegetation measures for erosion control based on the dominant rainfall eigenvalues in different areas. Overall, ZT, ZO and LA combinations are recommended, while uncertainty was detected in combinations with fish-scale pits. Suitable Terracing-vegetation measures should be selected after considering the micro-relief construction, the optimization of plant disposition and the efficiency of water erosion reduction. Management should focus on the construction standards, the threshold of resisting erosion for each Terracing measure, and timely maintenance of the terraces.
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how can Terracing impact on soil moisture variation in china a meta analysis
Agricultural Water Management, 2020Co-Authors: Die Chen, Wei Wei, Liding ChenAbstract:Abstract Soil moisture plays a key role in vegetation restoration and ecosystem stability. Terracing modulates hydrological processes by lowering the slope gradient and shortening the slope length. The response of soil moisture variation to Terracing is strongly influenced by land use, climate, topography and Terracing characteristics. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the response of soil moisture to Terracing in China. For China’s landscapes, Terracing generally improved the soil moisture by 12.9%. Relative to other Terracing structures, level ditches showed the greatest water conservation benefits, especially on steep slopes. Terracing had higher water storage benefits in the northern plains and the southern dry-hot valleys of China. The benefits of water storage by Terracing rose with increasing slope gradients above 15° and fell with increasing depth of soil layers. Soil moisture in the 0–100 cm depth differed among Terracing structures but not among land uses, mainly due to the differences in evapotranspiration under different micro-topographical conditions. In contrast, soil moisture at the depth of 100–200 cm differed among land use types but not among Terracing structures, only because root water uptake always differed across land use types. Regarding climatic factors, precipitation played a dominant role in soil moisture variation.
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the effects of Terracing and vegetation on soil moisture retention in a dry hilly catchment in china
Science of The Total Environment, 2019Co-Authors: Wei Wei, Liding Chen, Tianjiao Feng, Xinran Feng, Lei Yang, Die ChenAbstract:Abstract In water-restricted erosive mountains environments, large-scale vegetation plantation and diverse Terracing measures have been widely used as the most powerful ecological-restoration tools to control water erosion and improve local degraded ecosystems, further enhancing the complexity of Terracing, vegetation, and soil water relationships. In this study, 70 sampling sites across different hillslopes were selected and used for biweekly soil water measurement in a typical loess hilly catchment of China. The most typical Terracing measures (broad bench terraces-BBT, narrow bench terraces-NBT, level ditch terraces-LDT, counter-slope terraces-CST, and half-moon terraces-HMT) and introduced vegetation types (wild peach, apricot, arborvitae, poplar, and Chinese pine) were included in the study. Based on multi-site measurements, the effects of Terracing and vegetation on the profile of soil moisture dynamics at a depth of 2 m were analyzed. Results show that Terracing generally has a very positive role in soil water enhancement. Compared with slope risers, Terracing can increase soil moisture by 0.87% (±0.82%) to 37.71% (±9.01%), which benefits ecological restoration. However, the effects of various Terracing measures on soil water differed. BBT measures were the most powerful in soil water recharge, with an incremental ratio of 21.88%, which is 4.94, 5.95 and 4.21 times that of CST (5.19%), LDT (4.43%) and NBT (3.68%), respectively. The existence of different plant communities can increase the uncertainties and complexities of soil water status. Introduced trees and shrubs generally induce a greater reduction in soil water than do natural plants in similar environmental conditions. The few remaining original hillslopes covered by natural grasses can better preserve soil water, because of large differences in water use strategies between planted and natural species. Such findings are expected to provide important references for the proper selection of Terracing and artificial vegetation toward enhancing the efficiency of water conservation and ecological restoration in dry and degraded regions.
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effects of Terracing on soil water and canopy transpiration of pinus tabulaeformis in the loess plateau of china
Author, 2017Co-Authors: Handan Zhang, Liding Chen, Wei Wei, Lixin WangAbstract:Abstract Terracing has long been considered one of the most effective measures for soil water conservation and site improvement. However, few studies regarding the quantitative effects of Terracing on soil water dynamics and vegetation water use efficiency were reported. To fill these knowledge gaps, in this study, soil water content and canopy transpiration from 2014 to 2015 were monitored in both terrace and slope environments in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China. Results showed that Terracing had positive influences on soil water content among layers. Mean soil water content of the terrace site was 25.4% and 13.7% higher than that in the slope site in 2014 and 2015, and canopy transpiration at the terrace site increased by 9.1% and 4.8%, respectively. Canopy conductance at the terrace site was 3.9% higher than that at the slope site and it decreased logarithmically with the increase of vapor pressure deficit. This study highlighted the critical role of Terracing in soil-water improvement and water-stress mitigation in semiarid environments. Thus, Terracing has the potential to enhance sustainable vegetation restoration in water-limited regions.
Liding Chen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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how can Terracing impact on soil moisture variation in china a meta analysis
Agricultural Water Management, 2020Co-Authors: Die Chen, Wei Wei, Liding ChenAbstract:Abstract Soil moisture plays a key role in vegetation restoration and ecosystem stability. Terracing modulates hydrological processes by lowering the slope gradient and shortening the slope length. The response of soil moisture variation to Terracing is strongly influenced by land use, climate, topography and Terracing characteristics. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the response of soil moisture to Terracing in China. For China’s landscapes, Terracing generally improved the soil moisture by 12.9%. Relative to other Terracing structures, level ditches showed the greatest water conservation benefits, especially on steep slopes. Terracing had higher water storage benefits in the northern plains and the southern dry-hot valleys of China. The benefits of water storage by Terracing rose with increasing slope gradients above 15° and fell with increasing depth of soil layers. Soil moisture in the 0–100 cm depth differed among Terracing structures but not among land uses, mainly due to the differences in evapotranspiration under different micro-topographical conditions. In contrast, soil moisture at the depth of 100–200 cm differed among land use types but not among Terracing structures, only because root water uptake always differed across land use types. Regarding climatic factors, precipitation played a dominant role in soil moisture variation.
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the effects of Terracing and vegetation on soil moisture retention in a dry hilly catchment in china
Science of The Total Environment, 2019Co-Authors: Wei Wei, Liding Chen, Tianjiao Feng, Xinran Feng, Lei Yang, Die ChenAbstract:Abstract In water-restricted erosive mountains environments, large-scale vegetation plantation and diverse Terracing measures have been widely used as the most powerful ecological-restoration tools to control water erosion and improve local degraded ecosystems, further enhancing the complexity of Terracing, vegetation, and soil water relationships. In this study, 70 sampling sites across different hillslopes were selected and used for biweekly soil water measurement in a typical loess hilly catchment of China. The most typical Terracing measures (broad bench terraces-BBT, narrow bench terraces-NBT, level ditch terraces-LDT, counter-slope terraces-CST, and half-moon terraces-HMT) and introduced vegetation types (wild peach, apricot, arborvitae, poplar, and Chinese pine) were included in the study. Based on multi-site measurements, the effects of Terracing and vegetation on the profile of soil moisture dynamics at a depth of 2 m were analyzed. Results show that Terracing generally has a very positive role in soil water enhancement. Compared with slope risers, Terracing can increase soil moisture by 0.87% (±0.82%) to 37.71% (±9.01%), which benefits ecological restoration. However, the effects of various Terracing measures on soil water differed. BBT measures were the most powerful in soil water recharge, with an incremental ratio of 21.88%, which is 4.94, 5.95 and 4.21 times that of CST (5.19%), LDT (4.43%) and NBT (3.68%), respectively. The existence of different plant communities can increase the uncertainties and complexities of soil water status. Introduced trees and shrubs generally induce a greater reduction in soil water than do natural plants in similar environmental conditions. The few remaining original hillslopes covered by natural grasses can better preserve soil water, because of large differences in water use strategies between planted and natural species. Such findings are expected to provide important references for the proper selection of Terracing and artificial vegetation toward enhancing the efficiency of water conservation and ecological restoration in dry and degraded regions.
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effects of Terracing on soil water and canopy transpiration of pinus tabulaeformis in the loess plateau of china
Author, 2017Co-Authors: Handan Zhang, Liding Chen, Wei Wei, Lixin WangAbstract:Abstract Terracing has long been considered one of the most effective measures for soil water conservation and site improvement. However, few studies regarding the quantitative effects of Terracing on soil water dynamics and vegetation water use efficiency were reported. To fill these knowledge gaps, in this study, soil water content and canopy transpiration from 2014 to 2015 were monitored in both terrace and slope environments in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China. Results showed that Terracing had positive influences on soil water content among layers. Mean soil water content of the terrace site was 25.4% and 13.7% higher than that in the slope site in 2014 and 2015, and canopy transpiration at the terrace site increased by 9.1% and 4.8%, respectively. Canopy conductance at the terrace site was 3.9% higher than that at the slope site and it decreased logarithmically with the increase of vapor pressure deficit. This study highlighted the critical role of Terracing in soil-water improvement and water-stress mitigation in semiarid environments. Thus, Terracing has the potential to enhance sustainable vegetation restoration in water-limited regions.
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Effects of Terracing practices on water erosion control in China: A meta-analysis
Earth-Science Reviews, 2017Co-Authors: Die Chen, Wei Wei, Liding ChenAbstract:Abstract Terracing has long been considered a strategy for soil and water conservation in many mountainous regions of the world. However, the effectiveness of Terracing is limited by many factors, such as climate, soil properties, topography, land use, culture, demography and socioeconomic status. The aim of this critical review is to evaluate the roles of Terracing on water erosion control in China. A meta-analysis of 601 runoff and 636 sediment observations involving a diversity of terrace structures was conducted. These 1237 observations involved level terraces, slope-separated terraces, slope terraces, zig terraces, fanya juu terraces and half-moon terraces, wide geographical locations within China, a diversity of land uses from forests to bare land, and a slopes ranging from 3° to 35°. The results confirmed that Terracing significantly and positively affected water erosion control. In terms of different terrace structures, bench terraces were superior with respect to runoff and sediment reductions. Land use also played a crucial role in the efficiency of erosion control; terraces associated with tree crops and forests conserved the greatest amount of soil and water. In addition, a significant positive correlation between slope gradient (3°–15° and 16°–35°) and the effect of Terracing on water erosion control was observed with the greatest decreases in water erosion occurred at slopes of 26°–35° and 11°–15°. This study revealed the effectiveness and variations of Terracing with respect to water erosion control at the national scale and can serve as a scientific basis for land managers and decision makers. However with increasing urbanization, terrace abandonment increases as does the loss of place-based knowledge regarding terrace construction and maintenance.
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global synthesis of the classifications distributions benefits and issues of Terracing
Earth-Science Reviews, 2016Co-Authors: Liding Chen, Wei Wei, Die Chen, Lixin Wang, Stefani Daryanto, Ge Sun, Tianjiao FengAbstract:Abstract For thousands of years, humans have created different types of terraces in different sloping conditions, meant to mitigate flood risks, reduce soil erosion and conserve water. These anthropogenic landscapes can be found in tropical and subtropical rainforests, deserts, and arid and semiarid mountains across the globe. Despite the long history, the roles of and the mechanisms by which Terracing improves ecosystem services (ESs) remain poorly understood. Using literature synthesis and quantitative analysis, the worldwide types, distributions, major benefits and issues of Terracing are presented in this review. A key Terracing indicator, defined as the ratio of different ESs under terraced and non-terraced slopes (δ), was used to quantify the role of Terracing in providing ESs. Our results indicated that ESs provided by Terracing was generally positive because the mean values of δ were mostly greater than one. The most prominent role of Terracing was found in erosion control (11.46 ± 2.34), followed by runoff reduction (2.60 ± 1.79), biomass accumulation (1.94 ± 0.59), soil water recharge (1.20 ± 0.23), and nutrient enhancement (1.20 ± 0.48). Terracing, to a lesser extent, could also enhance the survival rates of plant seedlings, promote ecosystem restoration, and increase crop yields. While slopes experiencing severe human disturbance (e.g., overgrazing and deforestation) can generally become more stable after Terracing, negative effects of Terracing may occur in poorly-designed or poorly-managed terraces. Among the reasons are the lack of environmental legislation, changes in traditional concepts and lifestyles of local people, as well as price decreases for agricultural products. All of these can accelerate terrace abandonment and degradation. In light of these findings, possible solutions regarding socio-economic changes and techniques to improve already degraded terraces are discussed.
Die Chen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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how can Terracing impact on soil moisture variation in china a meta analysis
Agricultural Water Management, 2020Co-Authors: Die Chen, Wei Wei, Liding ChenAbstract:Abstract Soil moisture plays a key role in vegetation restoration and ecosystem stability. Terracing modulates hydrological processes by lowering the slope gradient and shortening the slope length. The response of soil moisture variation to Terracing is strongly influenced by land use, climate, topography and Terracing characteristics. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the response of soil moisture to Terracing in China. For China’s landscapes, Terracing generally improved the soil moisture by 12.9%. Relative to other Terracing structures, level ditches showed the greatest water conservation benefits, especially on steep slopes. Terracing had higher water storage benefits in the northern plains and the southern dry-hot valleys of China. The benefits of water storage by Terracing rose with increasing slope gradients above 15° and fell with increasing depth of soil layers. Soil moisture in the 0–100 cm depth differed among Terracing structures but not among land uses, mainly due to the differences in evapotranspiration under different micro-topographical conditions. In contrast, soil moisture at the depth of 100–200 cm differed among land use types but not among Terracing structures, only because root water uptake always differed across land use types. Regarding climatic factors, precipitation played a dominant role in soil moisture variation.
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the effects of Terracing and vegetation on soil moisture retention in a dry hilly catchment in china
Science of The Total Environment, 2019Co-Authors: Wei Wei, Liding Chen, Tianjiao Feng, Xinran Feng, Lei Yang, Die ChenAbstract:Abstract In water-restricted erosive mountains environments, large-scale vegetation plantation and diverse Terracing measures have been widely used as the most powerful ecological-restoration tools to control water erosion and improve local degraded ecosystems, further enhancing the complexity of Terracing, vegetation, and soil water relationships. In this study, 70 sampling sites across different hillslopes were selected and used for biweekly soil water measurement in a typical loess hilly catchment of China. The most typical Terracing measures (broad bench terraces-BBT, narrow bench terraces-NBT, level ditch terraces-LDT, counter-slope terraces-CST, and half-moon terraces-HMT) and introduced vegetation types (wild peach, apricot, arborvitae, poplar, and Chinese pine) were included in the study. Based on multi-site measurements, the effects of Terracing and vegetation on the profile of soil moisture dynamics at a depth of 2 m were analyzed. Results show that Terracing generally has a very positive role in soil water enhancement. Compared with slope risers, Terracing can increase soil moisture by 0.87% (±0.82%) to 37.71% (±9.01%), which benefits ecological restoration. However, the effects of various Terracing measures on soil water differed. BBT measures were the most powerful in soil water recharge, with an incremental ratio of 21.88%, which is 4.94, 5.95 and 4.21 times that of CST (5.19%), LDT (4.43%) and NBT (3.68%), respectively. The existence of different plant communities can increase the uncertainties and complexities of soil water status. Introduced trees and shrubs generally induce a greater reduction in soil water than do natural plants in similar environmental conditions. The few remaining original hillslopes covered by natural grasses can better preserve soil water, because of large differences in water use strategies between planted and natural species. Such findings are expected to provide important references for the proper selection of Terracing and artificial vegetation toward enhancing the efficiency of water conservation and ecological restoration in dry and degraded regions.
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Effects of Terracing practices on water erosion control in China: A meta-analysis
Earth-Science Reviews, 2017Co-Authors: Die Chen, Wei Wei, Liding ChenAbstract:Abstract Terracing has long been considered a strategy for soil and water conservation in many mountainous regions of the world. However, the effectiveness of Terracing is limited by many factors, such as climate, soil properties, topography, land use, culture, demography and socioeconomic status. The aim of this critical review is to evaluate the roles of Terracing on water erosion control in China. A meta-analysis of 601 runoff and 636 sediment observations involving a diversity of terrace structures was conducted. These 1237 observations involved level terraces, slope-separated terraces, slope terraces, zig terraces, fanya juu terraces and half-moon terraces, wide geographical locations within China, a diversity of land uses from forests to bare land, and a slopes ranging from 3° to 35°. The results confirmed that Terracing significantly and positively affected water erosion control. In terms of different terrace structures, bench terraces were superior with respect to runoff and sediment reductions. Land use also played a crucial role in the efficiency of erosion control; terraces associated with tree crops and forests conserved the greatest amount of soil and water. In addition, a significant positive correlation between slope gradient (3°–15° and 16°–35°) and the effect of Terracing on water erosion control was observed with the greatest decreases in water erosion occurred at slopes of 26°–35° and 11°–15°. This study revealed the effectiveness and variations of Terracing with respect to water erosion control at the national scale and can serve as a scientific basis for land managers and decision makers. However with increasing urbanization, terrace abandonment increases as does the loss of place-based knowledge regarding terrace construction and maintenance.
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global synthesis of the classifications distributions benefits and issues of Terracing
Earth-Science Reviews, 2016Co-Authors: Liding Chen, Wei Wei, Die Chen, Lixin Wang, Stefani Daryanto, Ge Sun, Tianjiao FengAbstract:Abstract For thousands of years, humans have created different types of terraces in different sloping conditions, meant to mitigate flood risks, reduce soil erosion and conserve water. These anthropogenic landscapes can be found in tropical and subtropical rainforests, deserts, and arid and semiarid mountains across the globe. Despite the long history, the roles of and the mechanisms by which Terracing improves ecosystem services (ESs) remain poorly understood. Using literature synthesis and quantitative analysis, the worldwide types, distributions, major benefits and issues of Terracing are presented in this review. A key Terracing indicator, defined as the ratio of different ESs under terraced and non-terraced slopes (δ), was used to quantify the role of Terracing in providing ESs. Our results indicated that ESs provided by Terracing was generally positive because the mean values of δ were mostly greater than one. The most prominent role of Terracing was found in erosion control (11.46 ± 2.34), followed by runoff reduction (2.60 ± 1.79), biomass accumulation (1.94 ± 0.59), soil water recharge (1.20 ± 0.23), and nutrient enhancement (1.20 ± 0.48). Terracing, to a lesser extent, could also enhance the survival rates of plant seedlings, promote ecosystem restoration, and increase crop yields. While slopes experiencing severe human disturbance (e.g., overgrazing and deforestation) can generally become more stable after Terracing, negative effects of Terracing may occur in poorly-designed or poorly-managed terraces. Among the reasons are the lack of environmental legislation, changes in traditional concepts and lifestyles of local people, as well as price decreases for agricultural products. All of these can accelerate terrace abandonment and degradation. In light of these findings, possible solutions regarding socio-economic changes and techniques to improve already degraded terraces are discussed.
Pute Wu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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identifying a suitable revegetation technique for soil restoration on water limited and degraded land considering both deep soil moisture deficit and soil organic carbon sequestration
Geoderma, 2018Co-Authors: Hongchen Li, Xining Zhao, Pute WuAbstract:Abstract Revegetation is an important means to improve the ecosystem services delivered by degraded land; however, inappropriate revegetation can result in severe soil desiccation and ecosystem degradation in water-limited regions. Here we evaluated seven common revegetation techniques by considering both deep soil moisture deficit and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration on the Loess Plateau of China, attempting to identify a suitable method for soil restoration of severely degraded ecosystems. The seven revegetation techniques considered were: two single-species shrub plantations (Caragana korshinskii and Hippophae rhamnoides), two single-species tree plantations (Platycladus orientalis with Terracing and Robinia pseudoacacia), and three mixed plantations (P. orientalis/H. rhamnoides with Terracing, R. pseudoacacia/H. rhamnoides, R. pseudoacacia/P. orientalis). A 12-year-old abandoned cropland served as the control. The results showed that the single-species plantation of P. orientalis with Terracing had the lowest soil moisture deficit in deep layers (200–800 cm) but also had the lowest SOC sequestration. In contrast, the mixed plantation of R. pseudoacacia/H. rhamnoides had the highest SOC sequestration but also had significant deep soil moisture deficit. In contrast, the mixed plantation of P. orientalis/H. rhamnoides with Terracing showed near-zero deep soil moisture deficit and significant, positive SOC sequestration. Therefore, this mixed plantation was identified as representing a suitable revegetation technique for this region. The results here suggest that appropriate mixed tree/shrub plantations with appropriate land engineering measures could deliver effective soil restoration in such environments. Our results provide an insight into revegetation in areas with degraded land.
Lixin Wang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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effects of Terracing on soil water and canopy transpiration of pinus tabulaeformis in the loess plateau of china
Author, 2017Co-Authors: Handan Zhang, Liding Chen, Wei Wei, Lixin WangAbstract:Abstract Terracing has long been considered one of the most effective measures for soil water conservation and site improvement. However, few studies regarding the quantitative effects of Terracing on soil water dynamics and vegetation water use efficiency were reported. To fill these knowledge gaps, in this study, soil water content and canopy transpiration from 2014 to 2015 were monitored in both terrace and slope environments in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China. Results showed that Terracing had positive influences on soil water content among layers. Mean soil water content of the terrace site was 25.4% and 13.7% higher than that in the slope site in 2014 and 2015, and canopy transpiration at the terrace site increased by 9.1% and 4.8%, respectively. Canopy conductance at the terrace site was 3.9% higher than that at the slope site and it decreased logarithmically with the increase of vapor pressure deficit. This study highlighted the critical role of Terracing in soil-water improvement and water-stress mitigation in semiarid environments. Thus, Terracing has the potential to enhance sustainable vegetation restoration in water-limited regions.
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global synthesis of the classifications distributions benefits and issues of Terracing
Earth-Science Reviews, 2016Co-Authors: Liding Chen, Wei Wei, Die Chen, Lixin Wang, Stefani Daryanto, Ge Sun, Tianjiao FengAbstract:Abstract For thousands of years, humans have created different types of terraces in different sloping conditions, meant to mitigate flood risks, reduce soil erosion and conserve water. These anthropogenic landscapes can be found in tropical and subtropical rainforests, deserts, and arid and semiarid mountains across the globe. Despite the long history, the roles of and the mechanisms by which Terracing improves ecosystem services (ESs) remain poorly understood. Using literature synthesis and quantitative analysis, the worldwide types, distributions, major benefits and issues of Terracing are presented in this review. A key Terracing indicator, defined as the ratio of different ESs under terraced and non-terraced slopes (δ), was used to quantify the role of Terracing in providing ESs. Our results indicated that ESs provided by Terracing was generally positive because the mean values of δ were mostly greater than one. The most prominent role of Terracing was found in erosion control (11.46 ± 2.34), followed by runoff reduction (2.60 ± 1.79), biomass accumulation (1.94 ± 0.59), soil water recharge (1.20 ± 0.23), and nutrient enhancement (1.20 ± 0.48). Terracing, to a lesser extent, could also enhance the survival rates of plant seedlings, promote ecosystem restoration, and increase crop yields. While slopes experiencing severe human disturbance (e.g., overgrazing and deforestation) can generally become more stable after Terracing, negative effects of Terracing may occur in poorly-designed or poorly-managed terraces. Among the reasons are the lack of environmental legislation, changes in traditional concepts and lifestyles of local people, as well as price decreases for agricultural products. All of these can accelerate terrace abandonment and degradation. In light of these findings, possible solutions regarding socio-economic changes and techniques to improve already degraded terraces are discussed.
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effects of Terracing on soil water and canopy transpiration of chinese pine plantation in the loess plateau china
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2016Co-Authors: Handan Zhang, Liding Chen, Wei Wei, Lixin WangAbstract:Abstract. Terracing has long been considered one of the most effective measures for soil water conservation and site improvement. However, the quantitative effects of Terracing on soil water dynamics and vegetation water use have not been reported. To fill these knowledge gaps, in this study, soil water content and canopy transpiration were monitored in both terrace and slope environments in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China in 2014 and 2015. Results showed that Terracing increased soil water content of different soil layers. Mean soil water content of the terrace site was 25.4 % and 13.7 % higher than that in the slope site in 2014 and 2015, and canopy transpiration at the terrace site increased by 9.1 % and 4.8 %, respectively. Canopy conductance at the terrace site was 3.9 % higher than that at the slope site and it decreased logarithmically with vapor pressure deficit. This study highlighted the critical role of Terracing in increasing the soil water content and mitigating water stress in semiarid environments. Thus, Terracing has the potential to enhance sustainable vegetation restoration in water-limited regions.
